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Label:Benjamin Harbeson became one of Philadelphia's most successful metal craftsmen. His trade card includes an image of a coffeepot identical to this example.

Additional information:

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections

This form of coffeepot, which derived from earlier Middle Eastern examples, was common in late seventeenth- and early eighteenth- century Dutch and English households, and was most often made of brass, copper, or a similar metal alloy. Its wide, flaring base provided the broadest possible contact with the fire, while the extended wooden handle protected the user from the heat that radiated up its tapered sides. Bearing the mark of the Philadelphia metalsmith Benjamin Harbeson under its handle, this coffeepot is the only known American example of the form. In comparison to its English prototypes, Harbeson's version exhibits more refined proportions and superior workmanship. Harbeson became one of the city's most successful metal craftsmen, and a trade card promoting his shop includes an image of an identical coffeepot among a wide range of other domestic copper and brass goods. Jack L. Lindsey, from Philadelphia Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections (1995), p. 259.

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